Danny Weidler

THIS column first alerted you to the horrible situation Paul Mellor has been placed in by his former best friend and old Cronulla teammate, Andrew Ettingshausen. It's been several months since we brought it up - now ET has finally broken his silence about the affair and revealed he is suffering from dissociation - which is a psychological term used to describe a mental departure from reality. He even thought about taking his own life. This column feels for him in his battle with that illness. He has also made some extremely poor investment decisions which have left his family in a tough financial spot. To his credit he did not get paid for his interview - his wife Monique marched him into the offices of Women's Weekly to talk. The man who managed his career for so long, Brian Walsh, was said to be against the idea of the interview. Walsh has been shattered by the situation - he is very close to the family and their kids. ET is now battling to win back the love of his wife, who deserves enormous praise for sticking by her man. Assuming the year-long affair with Mellor's wife is the only time ET has strayed, the couple may have a chance of surviving. They are working on paying back their debts. In the eight pages Women's Weekly dedicated to the story the actual affair was given little mention. Wisely ET did not go in to details - that would not change anything. There were pages of ET posing in a conservative cream sweater and tan pants looking sad and full of sorrow. In the thousands of words the Ettingshausens were allowed in the article I did not read the words Mellor deserves to hear: "I'm sorry, mate." ET's former teammates all made the same comment about the article - the lack of apology to Mellor is disgraceful - no matter what condition he is suffering from. We told you when Mellor asked for an apology ET simply told him that "everyone was doing it". You reckon ET's life has been ruined by his own inexcusable actions - spare a thought for Mellor. He has been betrayed by his wife and his best mate and he has to live with that pain every day. He is struggling through each day. He sees the pain on his kids' faces - yet he is trying to forgive his wife. His escape is to work as a video referee - hardly the most rewarding and stress-free role. Yes, ET's condition is something you would never wish on anyone - but if you are sparing a thought for anyone save it for Mellor and Monique Ettingshausen and all of the kids who have been dragged into this.

Bollinger strikes back

DOUG BOLLINGER has hit out at a whispering campaign which he says has hurt him and his family. He flew back from India amid rumours he and his wife, Teagan, have split and he was struggling with the punt. "I returned home from India for personal reasons and that's all I want to say about that. My wife, who is still my wife, had moved into a new home with my daughter and I felt it was the right thing to do to come home. The stuff that you have heard, well there is elements that are right but I'm angry that is being said. I'm not a bloke who seeks the spotlight so I don't know why people are talking about me." As for the gambling issue? "Just because I've got an interest in horses, please."

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Britons in the house

WESTS TIGERS are welcoming back a couple of their favourite English sons in Garry Schofield and Ellery Hanley for their annual Hall of Fame presentation on June 28, which doubles as a farewell to another British club legend, Gareth Ellis. Tickets for the Curzon Hall dinner are on sale for $195 a person or $1750 for a table of 10, with tickets to the July 6 clash with the Bulldogs part of the deal for bookings made prior to this Friday. Schofield and Hanley each played for both halves of the joint venture club.

Hands full with Bozo

WHEN NSWRL boss Geoff Carr was fronted by journalists after Origin I about the media ban that Ricky Stuart imposed on the team, he was not interested. "I've got my hands full trying to deal with Bozo (Bob Fulton)," he said. It's safe to say Fulton - Stuart's chief adviser - was not happy with the deal the Blues copped from the referees.

Open house at Origin

HERE'S something Ricky Stuart and his coaching staff may want to know. On the night of the bizarre Greg Inglis call, the video referee's box was not the clinical environment you would think it should be. AFL officials were invited into the box to see how the system works. You'd think a game of slightly less importance may have been a better time for such a visit. Former Blues great Brad Fittler agreed to take on the cause of disgruntled referees because he was stunned at the appointment of such an inexperienced team to handle State of Origin. And take it as fact - Bill Harrigan and Tony Archer don't get along. Harrigan has been of the view Archer is too slow. Archer backs the stance Luke Phillips and Ashley Klein have taken against Harrigan.

Car for Carney

TODD CARNEY got his driver's licence back during Origin - and now he has a new car to drive around in thanks to Tynan Motors. The Sharks' car sponsor is normally Toyota. Carney is keen to make amends for his underwhelming Blues debut with a big performance in Origin II.

Hugo joy for Haddins

BRAD HADDIN and his wife, Karina have been going through some very hard times since their daughter Mia was diagnosed with cancer. But they have had some great news in recent days - they had a baby boy, Hugo Ross Haddin. Their 18-month-old daughter is making progress. "Little Mia is fighting hard but reacting well to chemo," Haddin texted. Haddin is making himself available for selection and will be training again in the coming weeks.

Roosters stand by BJ

ROOSTERS utility back BJ Leilua will line up in their next match against the Broncos despite his off-field dramas. If some Roosters officials had their way he would have played in the side that was beaten by the Bulldogs on Monday night. If Roosters boss Nick Politis was in town, you can bet Stephen Alexander, the man who represents John Ibrahim, would have been his legal representative. But with David Trodden in his corner he will be very well looked after. There is no disputing he had a disagreement with his former girlfriend, it is alleged he spat in her face. The Roosters will argue Leilua was at the pub and his ex turned up and they will say he was being sent pictures by her - which he passed on to her brother - and that she was professing her love for him.

Making up

SOUTH SYDNEY'S recent player reunion at the leagues club was a smash hit - former players came from far and wide to enjoy the evening. But word coming out of the gathering is former players - including greats like Bob McCarthy - are growing tired of George Piggins's boycott of all things Rabbitohs. Piggins has had nothing to do with the club since Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court purchased the team in 2006. There is a feeling he should get over it. I spoke with Piggins about it recently and he is in no mood to back pedal. He will visit the team at the invitation of Michael Maguire - but if there is an official in sight he will walk out. His stance is understandable - let's hope it doesn't cost him any true friendships.

Losses very costly

WAYNE BENNETT has every reason to be dirty with the Knights' performances - if they don't improve it will hurt him in the hip pocket. His deal is dripping with incentives - from making the top eight to top four and the grand final. A premiership is said to be worth $800,000 to the coach.

5 comments so far

Wayne Bennett has proved to be very much a money man, he won't get much sympathy from the battlers who supported him before greed took over.

Commenter

johnl

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

June 03, 2012, 11:20AM

Agree on ET - come's up smelling like sh@t! It's all 'poor me' stuff when the real victims have been swept under the carpet. The straying wife also gets painted as culprit or vixen - extremely ungentlemanly! I remember reading in this paper years ago Jack Gibson saying ET was so quick he could turn off the light and be in bed before it went out. Didn't say whose bed!

Commenter

chracol

Date and time

June 03, 2012, 11:46AM

On the money about ET Danny - I'm already debating about whether I'll get this month's WW given 8 pages of it will be wasted - bad form all round.

Commenter

stunned mullet

Location

up a hill

Date and time

June 03, 2012, 12:21PM

What a perfectly crafted piece of PR crap ET's mea cupla is. Why can't someone who cheats simply put up their hand and say yeah I cheated and say yeah I did the wrong thing and leave it at that. And they didn't get paid for the interview ? What about a 3rd party deal by either Sportscraft or Country Road ?

Commenter

Cliff

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 03, 2012, 4:42PM

I think Benny is in new territory. He has operated with stable management and strong rosters.Newcastle has neither. And big Tinklers wealth has been doubted as real wealth before....he really is just a dealmaker not one to spend long periods of time developing something.Very interesting times ahead for the Knights.Won't be the first time the super coach and the fat man haven't seen things quite the same way.